Attacked In The Halls

The ministers were discussing among themselves when Nicholas entered the room.

He signaled for Regina to wait for him outside, he knew he wouldn't be able to focus with her in the room.

His memories reaffirmed his attraction to his bodyguard, it wasn't just upon his return that he felt drawn to her. He had found her appealing from the very beginning.

As Nicholas made his way to his throne-like seat, his ministers stopped chatting among themselves. They could feel the change in the prince's demeanor, he was mostly back.

"Do we have any leads on how news leaked out about my father's illness?" Nicholas asked Dion as he looked to his chief minister for answers.

"We checked and double checked everyone on our side, the information did not come from us. We suspect that one of your father's servants or ministers could have leaked the information to one of his wives and the news spread from there." Dion quickly explained to Nicholas.

Nicholas nodded as he considered their options, he knew it was already too late to attempt to hide the truth. He also knew that showing the world his ability to heal would work against his plan.

He may have been bullied and beaten all his life, but he had a goal, one that couldn't be won by showing all his cards from the beginning.

He wasn't even restored to his full abilities yet with chunks of crucial memories missing. He needed to find a way to regain them before his father died and before he could lay his claim on the throne.

"I want to see my father." Nicholas said, much to everyone's surprise. "I'll see what I can do for him, but I will need someone to stand in as the true mage that will heal the king."

"Dion should do it." Thomas suggested. "He is your chief minister and presumed to be the most powerful among us."

"He can't." Connor quickly responded. "Dion has checked the King, he said he couldn't heal him or find the source of his illness."

Everyone was silent as they considered their options.

"Thomas, have you ever checked on my father?" Nicholas asked as an idea formed in his head.

"No, your highness." Thomas said, shaking his head, hesitant to answer Nicholas' question.

"You'll come with me." Nicholas told Thomas.

Thomas reluctantly nodded, it was clear from Nicholas' tone that he was not leaving any room for argument. What the prince commanded was law.

"I will introduce you as a prodigy that Connor is training. I shall say you were assigned by the clan elders to me in order to broaden your knowledge and skills in the palace." Nicholas calmly explained to his ministers.

"This will put a target on his back." Glynda said with a concerned tone as she looked at Thomas. "The other princes will want him in their service. Edward might even double cross you to get Thomas."

Nicholas was silent as he considered his friend's safety.

"Will you betray me?" Nicholas asked Thomas.

As he spoke, he sent out some of his Corporali magic to detect if anyone in the room was lying to him.

It was one of the skills he had recalled developing. It was why Nicholas knew when a person lied to him. His magic entered their bodies, detected irregularities and communicated with him in a way.

"I'd never." Thomas swore as Nicholas felt the consistency in his behavior.

"You know I can tell if you are lying to me." Nicholas reminded his friend.

"I have nothing to gain by crossing you." Thomas told Nicholas, determined to prove his loyalty to the Corporali Prince.

"I believe you." Nicholas said with a nod. "When father dies, I want you, Glynda, and Master Leeroy to leave this place and head for the Corporali Clan territory."

"Your highness, I will not leave the palace." Master Leeroy insisted.

Nicholas was not surprised that the old man wanted to stay. He had already survived one battle for power, he was sure to be confident to survive another one.

"My brothers will not be as kind as my father or his brothers." Nicholas warned.

"They are never kind, your highness. It would be foolish to call someone who is plotting their brother's death kind." Master Leeroy told the prince.

"I am doing this to protect you, Master Leeroy. You deserve a long relaxing life, something that you have not had here." Nicholas insisted.

"I have lived in the palace since I was eight. I was raised as a friend to the previous Corporali Prince, your uncle. I survived your father's, and I will survive yours." Master Leeroy insisted.

"You'll be a liability, old man." Dion scoffed.

"My decision is final, Master Leeroy. You will cooperate or Thomas will drag you screaming out of the palace and into a carriage." Nicholas threatened.

"Yes, my prince." Master Leeroy said as he gave Nicholas a respectful bow, choosing not to argue any further.

"Regan, send word to my father that I have a promising Corporali Mage that will look at him." Nicholas ordered his minister who bowed and left the room.

"What are we doing to find out who the leak is?" Nicholas asked Dion as he adjusted the limiter on his wrist. As usual, it made him very uncomfortable to wear them.

"We have sent spies to trace for the source, but it will take some time." Dion explained to Nicholas.

"Keep me updated, for now we wait and see what my brothers will do." Nicholas ordered as he leaned back. "I am certain that many of them will move up their plans. They will be less careful about keeping it a secret."

"Yes, your highness." Dion said as he spoke respectfully to Nicholas.

A knock came from the servant's door, Nicholas knew that only Jorin would dare interrupt his meeting.

"You may enter, Jorin." He commanded as his servant pushed open the door and sealed it tightly behind him.

"The princess has been informed. She asked if you would move forward with your plan with Lady Ryenne." Jorin told the prince as he bowed.

"Inform my sister that we will push through with it in three nights, there is still much that needs to be discussed before then." Nicholas ordered as he dismissed Jorin, leaving him alone with his ministers once more.

"Where did we fail, Glynda? Why wasn't the magic enough to bring back all of my memories?" Nicholas asked as he looked at the woman whom he recalled raised him after his mother's death.

"I don't understand your highness, it should have been enough magic. We should have been able to heal the damage on your mind caused by the transition to the other realm." Glynda explained as she frowned and looked down, defeated by the daunting task before them.

"I have a theory, but I'm not quite sure about it." Nicholas confessed as he considered what had happened when they were trying to return all his memories. "Aside from lacking the mana and magic needed to complete the process."

"Where are you going with this, your highness?" Connor asked as he had a bad feeling of Nicholas' plan.

"A vale mage took my memories, so only vale magic can give it back." Nicholas explained.

"But Vale mages can't heal you, plus where will you find one? They are extinct!" Master Leeroy argued as he considered what Nicholas needed.

"Vale mages aren't extinct, old man." Dion said as he laughed at Master Leeroy. "Have you not noticed the woman that follows the princess everywhere?"

"Lady Ryenne? The Ganti Mage?" Master Leeroy asked as he began to think of the woman's appearance.

"She dyes her hair and puts something in her eyes to distort their color." Nicholas explained to the old mage.

"How could she have survived the Cruor hunt?!" Master Leeroy asked, shocked at the new piece of information.

It seemed that he was the only one who had not known about Ryenne. Everyone else smiled and laughed as Master Leeroy looked around the room in shock.

"No one told me?! You all knew and no one even informed me?!" The old master asked as he pointed at everyone. "You! You!" Master Leeroy said as he continued to point at Dion.

"Calm down old man." Dion chuckled. "We thought you could have been a spy or a traitor."

"How dare you! I would never!" Master Leeroy shouted as Dion's demeanor suddenly changed as he glared at the old man.

"You forget your place and your history, Master Leeroy." Dion said in a booming voice, making the old man shrink and shut up.

"Don't scare him too much, he might have a heart attack. Even I can't guarantee a return from that." Nicholas said as he warned his chief minister.

"Anyway, as you were saying, your highness?" Glynda said with a smile as she brought the conversation back on topic.

"Right. The princess Brie and Ryenne discovered old books that spoke about a technique that could transfer not only mana but magic as well." Nicholas calmly explained.

"And you plan to attempt this crazy plan of theirs?" Master Leeroy asked.

"Yes, I see no harm in it. I should be able to complete this technique within a few days and from there use Vale and Corporali Magic to heal myself and regain my memories." Nicholas did not want to go into the details of the technique.

He knew it was quite unorthodox and that it went against the laws involving Cruor Princes.

"Sir." Regan said as he burst through the door. "The king will see you, but you must hurry, your brothers are on their way as well."